


Silver Key

by keeryscupojoe



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Tarlos, Fluff, M/M, Tarlos - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:21:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22867813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keeryscupojoe/pseuds/keeryscupojoe
Summary: It'd been a few months since TK and Carlos started dating officially and Carlos thought it'd be a good idea to give his boyfriend a key. Though the key originally wasn't used a lot, here's a few instances where it was.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 22
Kudos: 277





	Silver Key

The key wasn’t supposed to mean anything. It was just a regular, small, replacement house key, given TK in case he needed anything or didn’t feel like being alone in a house he was unfamiliar with. Did Michelle, Carlos’s closest friend for a bit more than three years, own a key? No…

Okay so maybe it meant something.

But, It felt different, this relationship with TK. A good kind of different Carlos likes to think. They stopped hiding what they were feeling from each other very early in their relationship and things ran so much smoother. They felt like they could be honest with each other, though not pressured to say anything until they were ready.

Maybe it’s the fact that they’ve had to handle so many, in, intense events together on the job. Granted they were separate tasks but they were the same emergencies. Or maybe it’s because they saw each other vulnerable in all meanings of the word, within days of meeting one another. Whatever it was, that little silver key, a gift from Carlos to TK, symbolized a lot.

Though for the first few weeks of it being in TK’s possession, it wasn’t used and quickly became another key on the keychain, jingling with every move it made.

It wasn’t really until TK realized he had forgotten something at Carlos’s house that he had to use it.

-

_Carlos neatly put the freshly filled out documents into a manilla folder, grabbing four large black clips to secure the papers in and placing it into the file organizer he kept to the right of his computer. The bustling of the police department slowly dying down around him as the late hours droned on, residing to a low hum of voices and papers shuffling. A small ping caused Carlos’s head to turn to his phone, seeing a small notification of a text from TK. He rolled his chair slightly towards the end of the desk where his phone was placed and picked it up, the screen turning on upon movement._

> _**TK:** hey have you seen my jacket? i think i left it at yours the other night…_

_Without really thinking, Carlos typed out a quick reply and placed his phone back on his desk._

> _**Carlos:** Yeah, it’s on a chair in the dining room_

_Another ping came a minute or so later._

> _**TK:** cool, i’ll come get it at dinner tonight :)_

_Carlos quietly cursed to himself, looking to the new stack of paperwork that was placed on his desk a few minutes later. They were supposed to have a late dinner tonight, Carlos had planned to be home at least an hour before TK got off from his shift but it appears that wasn’t going to happen._

> _**Carlos:** About that, it’s looking like I’m gonna be working late tonight so dinner is a no-go :/ _
> 
> _**Carlos:** you can still grab it after your shift if you need it tonight. _
> 
> _**Carlos:** I think I gave you a key?_

_TK replied almost instantly with a string of short texts that Carlos was forced to look at due to the frequency of the pings._

> _**TK:** no worries and yes _
> 
> _**TK:** yeah it’s right here _
> 
> _**TK:** on my keychain _
> 
> _**TK:** i’m gonna go grab it now_

_Carlos smiled and shook his head, turning off his ringer and concentrating on the work in front of him._

_-_

The key was used again in a very similar fashion over the span of the next month or so. TK and his organized mess would leave little things at Carlos’s, only remembering to retrieve them the day after if Carlos didn’t say anything. It didn’t help that TK frequently was running slightly behind schedule more often than not.

He wouldn’t admit it, but Carlos thought it amusing, plus it gave them more reason to see each other.

There was a moment a little different from the rest, where TK said he was going to drop off Carlos’s t-shirt [they had spent the morning before looking for his but after about ten minutes they gave up and TK just left with one of Carlos’s]. He was fine with it but what really warmed his heart was the small sticky note on top of his shirt from TK that said he was sorry for being a quote on quote, “slob." TK wrote that he’d make it up to him later with a simple drawing of a smiley face taking up the rest of the space.

One occasion had TK attempting to make dinner for the two even after Carlos said he was going to. TK argued that Carlos always makes the food and he needed a break, especially after an especially daunting call he had responded to earlier that day. It was a sweet gesture and had the food not been undercooked it would’ve been a bit more rewarding but the effort was nice. They ended up ordering takeout that night and swapping weird and oddly hilarious moments on the job.

That was a few weeks ago.

Carlos closed the car door with a small push and pressed the lock button his key while walking towards the door. Carlos noticed through the trees and shrubbery that the lights in his house were on along with the TV. He slowly unlocked his door and opened it, his figure relaxing immediately to see TK curled up on the couch, asleep. The noise from the TV was low, the light illuminating what left of the room wasn’t lit up. Carlos closed the door behind him and took off his shoes only to carry them to his bedroom.

After changing into a t-shirt and pajama pants, Carlos took the extra blanket he keeps on his bed and draped it over TK, making sure it covered as much as possible. He looked peaceful asleep, fully content and free of worry.

TK and Carlos hadn’t really been in contact the last few days, other than short bursts of texting and quick stolen kisses on a call. Everything had been so hectic, and intense lately that they hadn’t had time to do anything else, including making plans for when everything settled down.

Carlos grabbed the empty glass cup, trying to load it and a few other dishes into the dishwasher as quietly as possible. Though upon closing the machine and turning around, it was apparent he hadn’t accomplished this. TK was off his side and now on his back, his hands tucked behind his head with a small smile on his face.

“Good morning,” Carlos joked, wiping his hands off on a towel. TK only smiled further, watching every movement Carlos made. “You don’t normally pass out after a shift, rough night?”

“Don’t get me started, “ TK yawned, pushing himself up from his previous position on the couch. He took the blanket Carlos gave him and lazily wrapped it around his shoulders. “I didn’t mean to be asleep before you got here,” he stood up from the couch and made his way to the kitchen, “was gonna order takeout like last time.”

Carlos leaned back against the counter and folded his arms. “Right, because you can’t cook,” He laughed.

“Hey, I told you that in confidence,” TK retorted, moving Carlos’s arms away from their folded position. Carlos snuck his arms under the blanket and around TK, pulling him into an embrace. TK placed his head into the crook of his boyfriend’s neck. The air coming from TK’s nose tickled Carlos’s neck the few minutes they stayed in this way. There was no talking, just feeling one another as an attempt to make up for time lost. The only sound in the room was the television that had now switched to reruns of some western Carlos didn’t recognize.

“You smell good,” TK mumbled into Carlos’s neck, planting a quick kiss before pulling away, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Carlos replied, slightly drowsy from the warmth of TK’s body and the blanket.

“I hope you don’t mind me breaking into your apartment,” TK said.

Carlos scrunched up his face and shook his head, “You say that like I didn’t tell you could use the key anytime you wanted.”

“Anytime?” TK teased.

“Anytime,” Carlos confirmed.

TK looked up and to the left as he thought, pursing his lips. “So…” he started, “I could use it if, let’s say,” he brought his left hand up to his lips and chin, stroking as he formed his thought, “I wanted to sleep in your bed because I missed being close to you?”

Carlos gave him a wide smile, scoffing slightly. “Of course. In fact, I think we can do that right now, can’t we?”

TK placed his arm back around Carlos and shrugged, a small smirk painted on his face, “Your key.”

“It’s your key,” Carlos quickly reminded.

TK sighed and stared into Carlos’s eyes with a sense of admiration and affection all too present. “Then I think we can,” he whispered before meeting Carlos’s lips with his own.


End file.
